


Something Wicked (Between the Lines)

by NexnGrxvstxns



Category: BLURRYFACE - Twenty One Pilots (Album), Trench - Twenty One Pilots (Album), Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Clique - Freeform, Dark, Gen, Halloween, Horror, M/M, Suspense, cliquetober, cliquetober2020, oneshots, prompts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:08:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26821183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NexnGrxvstxns/pseuds/NexnGrxvstxns
Summary: Something Wicked is a collection of one-shots inspired by various Cliquetober prompts (Halloween / horror inspired prompts, usually made for drawing art but this year I decided to try to  adapt the prompts and do writing-related art). The prompts are specifically for twenty one pilots related stories.
Relationships: Jenna Black/Tyler Joseph, Josh Dun/Tyler Joseph
Kudos: 2





	1. The Mirror | Day One

**Author's Note:**

> Each one-shot is inspired by various Cliquetober 2020 prompts.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompts: Mirror, Mask, Cover

There were two possibilities. And only two, as far as Tyler was concerned.

The mirror was haunted. 

Or... He was going insane.

Tyler did not like the idea of him going insane. Insanity, he felt, would not suit him well.

And so the mirror was haunted. It had to be.

It started in early fall. September sometime, when summer still clung to the air and leaves with a ferocity that caused many impromptu pool parties between him, Jenna, and Rosie. 

He had stayed in on one of those days. New music was calling to him, so he braved the house's heat for the sake of his art. He had left Jenna and Rosie splashing in the pool, and had descended into the basement. Luckily, it was cooler down in the studio than the rest of the house, and as he flicked on the lights he was grateful for his past decision to make his studio in the basement.

He remembered walking past the mirror, just as he always did, thinking nothing of the way his reflection seemed to lag.

He remembered sitting down at his computer, putting his headphones on, and making sick beats. He remembered getting up an hour later to check on Jenna and Rosie, remembered the way he had paused this time in front of the mirror.

He had frowned, leaning forward slightly to take a closer look at the mirror. Something was off, though what exactly, he couldn't quite name. It was as though the refractions of light bouncing back toward him were not his own. He raised his hand, and his reflection had followed suit, but not in sync.

Whatever action he had taken, his reflection had repeated, seconds later. Smile? His reflection surely did smile back, but in a delayed manner, as though it was struggling through molasses. It was not... natural.

He had shaken the thought off just as quickly as it had come, however. Jenna was probably wondering where he was, and he wanted to see Rosie. Whatever oddity was occurring in the basement was surely something that could be resolved with some sleep.

The human mind is quite resilient, and quite stubborn, when it needs to be. And right now, even if Tyler did not know it consciously, his mind was being both stubborn and resilient. He gave it no more thought, instead returning to his family and enjoying the sunny day.

It wasn't until a week later that he noticed the reflection again, this time in the bathroom mirror. He had had plenty of sleep that night, so it wasn't a matter of sleep deprivation. And this mirror was a totally different one from the one he had in the basement, so perhaps it wasn't a question of haunting. That only left...

Insanity.

Great.

No. That was neither great, nor something he'd succumb so easily to. Not now. Not when he had a family and Josh and-

Josh.

If there was one person he knew could talk some sense into him, it was Josh. His reflection seemed to watch as he got out his cellphone, pressing the speed dial for Josh and waiting as the phone rang. He leaned forward once more as he waited for Josh to answer, frowning. It was strange. This time, his reflection seemed less clear. Almost like he was trying to stare at himself through a steamed up mirror, or a layer of water lay between them. It was blurred, ever so slightly.

He leaned closer, trying to see what could be betraying his vision. Nothing else was blurry, he could see the tile and the sink and even out the window to his left, so it was not a question of going blind.

He paused, eyeing himself in the mirror. The reflection seemed to be eyeing him back. And then it did the scariest thing yet.

It smiled.

But Tyler's lips hadn't even moved. In fact, he was frowning.

"Tyler, what's up?"

"Josh!" Tyler exclaimed, surprised. He jumped back from the mirror, and once again his reflection followed suit - but this time, it was perfectly in sync. No strange delay, not even a hesitation. He stared at it, and realized it was once again perfectly clear.

"I..." He shook his head. "You're in the area, right?"

"Uh, yeah. I'm in Columbus all of October... Why?"

"Do you think you could come over?"

Josh was silent for a moment. Then: "Yeah, sure, I'll be there in fifteen."

*******

True to his word, Josh was standing in Tyler's basement fifteen minutes later, staring at the mirror. "I don't get it," he said at last.

"What do you mean?" Tyler asked.

"It's a mirror, Tyler. It shows our reflections," Josh said carefully.

"No, this was different. It... It wasn't my reflection. It was something else. It was me... but it wasn't me."

Josh looked at him, not quite sure if he believed his friend or not. He thought for a moment, then spoke again. "Okay, what do you want to do about it?"

Tyler shook his head. "I... I don't know," he admitted. "I just... I'm not crazy."

He whispered the last bit, looking defeated. Josh nodded, walking over to his friend and giving him a hug. When he pulled back, he looked Tyler in the eye. "Okay," he said. "We'll sleep down here tonight, and if anything weird happens you'll let me know."

"Okay," Tyler agreed.

*******

The night came quicker than either would have expected. They had chosen to take shifts, sleeping for an hour or two before waking the other up. 

It was late, well past midnight, when Tyler took his third shift. He watched Josh as he drifted off to sleep, peacefully unaware of the utter madness of this entire situation. If it weren't for the absurdity of it all, perhaps Tyler would have enjoyed this experience more. How long had it been since they'd last had a sleep over, after all? Sure, they slept in close quarters on a tour bus - but that was different. They hadn't had a proper sleep over, complete with Mario Kart and insane amounts of snacks in several years.

And now that they were as close to that as they'd ever been, it was because of some mental breakdown of his. 

Tyler glared at the mirror. He could already see the face that glared back beginning to change, to blur and morph into something else. He watched, a mix of dread and fascination warring in his head, until he realized who it was that haunted him. Who it was that stared back at him.

Blurryface.

Well, Tyler realized, it was him. Tyler, but made up in his Blurryface persona, complete with black neck and hands, red beanie, and red eyes. He shuddered, but his reflection didn't so much as flinch. It stared at him, slowly cocking its head as it observed him.

"J-Josh..." Tyler choked out.

The Tyler-that-was-not-Tyler's face slowly cracked into a small, mischievous grin. Tyler turned to Josh, shaking him awake, and then turned quickly back to the mirror.

Blurryface was gone.

"W...What is it?" Josh asked groggily, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. "What's wrong?"

Tyler stared, wide-eyed at the mirror in front of them. The Blurryface-Tyler was gone, but another figure stared back, more distant than that of Tyler's twin. Even with the figure's distance, he knew who it was. What it was.

"He... He was there. Staring at me. It... I don't think it was a reflection anymore. Josh, look-" Tyler whispered sharply.

He glanced at his friend, saw the surprise on his face as he, too, recognized the figure in the mirror. "Is that... Me?" He whispered back.

"I... I think so." Josh, red haired and red eye makeup smeared across his face, stood watching them in the mirror. Josh blinked, and so did his counterpart, with the same delay as before.

"Now do you believe me?" Tyler croaked.

Josh couldn't speak, he just nodded.

"I think it wants me. It... It wants me..." Tyler couldn't even speak, the words just stuck, spinning around and around his brain.

Suddenly, Josh stood, walking over to the mirror and grabbing the side of it. "Help me," he called to Tyler.

Tyler stood, grabbing the other side of the mirror. They pushed, slowly turning the mirror towards the wall. Once finished, they both fell back to their sleeping bags, staring at the back of the mirror.

"If we can't see it... If it's covered up, it can't get out," Tyler realized. "It's masked behind the wall."

Tyler glanced at Josh. "Right...?"

Josh nodded, a feeling of unease settling over both of them. They sat in their sleeping bags for some time, staring at the back of the mirror. Waiting. Listening. Praying that they were right.

Finally, Josh looked at Tyler. "Get some sleep," he said softly. "You look like you need it."

He was right, of course. Tyler nodded. "Are you... okay?" 

Josh shrugged. "I'll be fine. I'll wake you if I need you."

"Okay..." Tyler replied. "And Josh...?"

"Hm?"

"Thank you," Tyler said. He reached out, squeezing his best friend's hand for a second before slipping back into his sleeping bag and drifting off.

*******

The morning came. Tyler woke, the events of last night feeling like some sort of strange dream. He glanced at Josh, realizing that his friend hadn't woken him up again to take his turn watching the mirror. 

But Josh wasn't there. His sleeping bag lay crumpled, next to his, just as it had been last night. Tyler frowned. Perhaps he had gone upstairs to help Jenna with breakfast. Both she and Josh had always been early risers, getting up far earlier than Tyler had ever been able to.

Tyler stood, stretching and taking the steps up from the basement two at a time, calling a good morning to Rosie and Jenna as he closed the basement door.

He did not see the man standing in the shadows, behind his computer and hidden between the speakers, mask pulled tightly over his face and black neck hidden by a black hoodie. The same hoodie Josh had worn the night before.

He did not see the mirror, now situated against the opposite wall, facing once more to the outside world. Uncovered. Unmasked.

He did not see the man in the mirror, banging desperately (but without any real effect) against the glass.

He did not see Josh trying to warn him.

He never saw Josh again.


	2. An Angel on a Headstone | Day Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompts: Angel, Bones

It was probably three AM by the time Josh and Tyler skidded to a stop inside the cemetery. Autumn leaves crunched under bike tires, and then silence descended. Nearly silence, anyway. If one listened closely, one could make out the various noises of night - the various critters and owls that came alive, the soft breeze rustling the leaves. Josh glanced at Tyler, then hopped softly off his bike. Tyler followed suit, but more hesitantly. 

"Are you sure about this, man?"

Josh shrugged. "It's cool. No one comes around here this late - not in Autumn, at least." He shrugged again, pulling his jacket on over his hoodie. "Too cold."

Tyler nodded, following Josh as they pushed on further into the cemetery. The farther they went, the more it was evident that going on foot had been the only option: There were too many roots, too many spots where bikes could easily have been flipped. He was grateful that Josh had stopped them when he had. 

October hung in the air like some sort of specter. The weather had chilled significantly over the last few weeks, and now the nights were threatened by the creeping frost that came every fall. Soon enough that frost would be replaced by snow, and the leaves that softly crunched under their feet would be all but disintegrated. But for now, the air still held onto the last remnants of summer, permeating a strange chill around them. Frost puffed out of the boy's mouth's as they walked. 

About twenty minutes later the path they had been forging finally spilled out into a clearing of sorts. "Clearing" was perhaps the wrong word, as trees leaned in all around, and there were really only space for maybe five people to spread out comfortably between the grave stones. Josh walked into the space, stopping by a particularly old headstone. It was cracked and weathered by the ages, but somehow a tiny angel statue still stood on the top. It looked relatively new compared to the headstone.

Tyler motioned to the angel statue. "It looks in remarkably good condition."

Josh smiled. "Yeah, I think someone else has found this place before me and makes a point of switching out the statue every now and then." 

He pulled out a blanket, spreading it out a little ways away from the gravestone. Tyler examined the headstone, but it was too worn to make out anything defining who it belonged to. 

Tyler walked over to where Josh was, sitting down on the blanket he had set out. He scoured through their picnic basket, pulling out food and soda, along with a couple of cups. Josh joined him, opening the soda and pouring some into their cups as they looked around the tiny clearing. It had become their own little secret. An autumn treat, of sorts. Their own little Halloween tradition, despite it still being a couple weeks until Halloween.

"Only skeleton bones remain," Tyler mused. 

Josh looked at him. "What?"

"Oh, uh, just thinking aloud," Tyler said, smiling back. "Underneath we're all the same. Under our clothes, under our skin... we're all the same. And when we go underneath... We're all the same, Just a pile of bones."

Josh remained silent for some time, considering Tyler's words. "Once you remove all the tricky tricks, we're just a skeleton."

"Tricky tricks?" Tyler asked, chuckling.

Josh shrugged. "I don't know."

"Nah," Tyler said. "I like it." 

They once again sat in silence, time giving the illusion of standing still. 

_Time stands still  
Time stands still  
There's a metaphor in hand  
A metaphoric blast which only few will understand  
Under clothes, Under skin, Underneath we're all the same  
For when you remove the tricky tricks  
Only skeleton bones remain _


	3. In the Woods Somewhere | Day Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompts: Eyes and torch.
> 
> [PLEASE READ FIRST]
> 
> I knew immediately what I wanted to do for this prompt. This is a very dark take for these prompts, and is inspired by the song In The Woods Somewhere by Hozier. 
> 
> Trigger warning applies for: violence, gore, dead bodies, and animal maiming / death/murder.

He awoke sweat-soaked. His head ached, but he could not remember why. His head felt vaguely warm, as though some unknown fever had just broke. He could not remember. Had he been sick? Why else would he be tucked so carefully in bed? He allowed his eyes to wander, attempt to discern any distinguishable landmark within the room he found himself, but none came. Why was he here? This certainly not what his room; nor did it look like any hotel room, not any that he had ever seen before, at least. 

He tried to remember what had happened before awaking, before he had discovered his current predicament. But nothing came. It was like staring into static, trying to discern some picture from the meaningless squiggles. Where was he?

Who was he?

He froze as the realization flashed through his brain, but before he could even consider the thought, it was gone. Replaced, by another realization, a more pressing one.

The door knob to the room he found himself in was turning.

He braced himself against this new, potentially dangerous onslaught, but relaxed once more when he saw it was nothing more than a trick of the light. The door did not push inward, there were no squeaking hinges or hands slowly reaching around the frame.

There was just him, a stranger even in his own mind, alone.

He slowly rose to a sitting position, and then stood. His body was weak, and it took a few tries to be able to stand without falling backwards onto the bed. He walked shakily to the window. A full moon hung, somehow ominous against the darkness of the night. The blackness of night seemed to hang and hum, like a strange living monstrosity, obscuring whatever lay beyond the cabin behind a curtain of darkness.

He shivered, a feeling of unease settling over him like some familiar friend. A vague memory fought its way to the forefront of his mind. Had he been screaming? Not now, his lips were sealed... But before, when the fever still clung to his body and faded his sensibilities. Nothing made sense, and he could not be sure, but he could just make out an awareness of himself, yelling for someone...

Someone named Tyler?

Who was this Tyler? Why was he important? He could not remember. _What had happened to him?_

He could not stand this helplessness. Could not stand the not knowing. It was worse than the weakness that plagued his body, the warmth that lingered in his head and muddled his brain. 

He looked around the room once more. It was a cabin, fairly normal by all accounts. Bed, bedside table, lamp, dresser and desk. A door to what was likely a hallway. He walked over to the dresser, opening the drawers one by one. There was nothing in them, not even a dust mite. He slowly walked over to the bedside table, taking each step carefully as the world spun around him. Pulling out the single drawer, he observed its contents.

Or, it's single content.

A flashlight. He frowned, picking it up and clicking the switch to turn it on. It flared to life, and he was struck by a particular thought. Didn't the British call flashlights torches?

It was an odd thought, but most of the thoughts he had had since waking were quite odd, so he didn't give it much bother. 

He hesitantly walked towards the door, opening it carefully (and was relieved to find it not locked). A quick look around the rest of the cabin told him no one else was here. No one to give him answers. He sighed, about to turn to head back towards the front of the cabin when something caught his eye. A piece of paper lay carefully folded on the table. 

He walked over, examining it. A name was scrawled across the page. Josh. Was that him? Surely it had to be, he was the only one here. People left notes when they left, didn't they? This was likely the case here. Someone had written him a note, in case he had woken up before they had returned. 

He smiled. Josh. It was a good name. He was glad it was his, even if he didn't know if he had a middle, or even a last name. He unfolded the note, reading it softly aloud.

_Josh,_

_Gone out to get more Tylenol. If you wake up before I'm back, I hope you at least find this note._ Josh chuckled, the last sentence had been scratched out by whoever had written it. _The doctor says you'll be fine; you'll just need a few hours rest. You should be good to go by tomorrow. I told you not to eat those berries. Did you listen? No! Of course not. And of course the cabin wasn't stocked with Tylenol, though I suppose that one was my fault._

_Just, if you're reading this, do me a favor and go back to bed. You scared me half to death, and you need more rest. I'll be back soon._

_Your friend,  
Tyler. _

Tyler. That was the name he'd thought he had yelled while asleep. They were friends. Josh liked that, too.

He began to head back to the room, per Tyler's orders, when he heard a noise. An awful sound, ripping through the silence. He stood there a moment, listening for it again, but nothing came. Still, the echo of the sound rang through Josh's head, causing his blood to freeze. It sounded like...

It sounded like a woman's scream.

It couldn't be. He should just return to bed, like Tyler said in his note. He was still feverish, and for all he knew he could have imagined the noise. He knew he should return to bed, but his feet propelled him towards the door leading out of the cabin, and onto the porch. He stared out into the woods, but could not see anything beyond the cabin's porch light. It didn't go very far.

He took a deep breath, steadying himself, and clicked on the flashlight. He could still go back inside, go back to bed. He could...

No, he couldn't.

He stepped off the porch, heading into the woods. The flashlight provided light, but not enough, and he soon found himself stumbling through the thick undergrowth. It was like the woods themselves were alive, trying to sabotage his efforts.

A few quick saves later and his luck finally ran out. He tripped over a particularly gnarled root, laying sprawled out on the forest floor. His breath came out in puffs, and he scrambled to his feet. Quickly the realization that he had lost his flashlight hit him, and he swore.

Another scream broke through the woods, this time far closer. The concern for finding the flashlight was gone, and he quickly raced through the forest, empty-handed. He prayed the moonlight would provide enough light to at least make it to his destination alive, if not unscathed. 

He stumbled out into a clearing a while later. He could not be certain for how long he had run, but the moon was lower in the sky now. It was well past midnight. He scanned the clearing, his eyes finally landing on a lone fox.

It lay by the opposite line of trees, shaking, afraid. Josh took a careful breath, slowly making his way towards the fox. Once he was a few yards away he knelt, staring with wide eyes at the beautiful creature. It had not made a single sound the entire time, no more screams of pain came forth. He could see it was still alive, still struggling to regain it's footing. It was clear, however, that the fox would not be able to stand, let alone escape.

Josh didn't speak, but could see the creature eyeing him. Shaking still, it's ears twitched. Now that Josh was closer, he could see the damage that had been wrought. The hind leg was lame, the flesh torn away so that the bone was exposed. He stared at the wound, fighting the nausea that threatened to overwhelm him. How could the fox still be alive? Surely it should have died, the wound.. It was terrible.

He slowly picked up a stone, grasping it tightly in a shaking hand. Josh closed his eyes as he brought the rock down. Once. Twice. He could not let the animal suffer anymore. There would be no way to save it, so he had to put it out of its pain.

Once he was done, he dropped the rock, stumbling back. A sob chocked its way out of his mouth, and he stared down at his hand, now covered in a maroon coating.

_Oh, God, what had he done?_

He looked once more at the poor animal before him. He wondered once more what could have made a wound such as that, wondered how large the teeth were of such a beast. Josh, just as the fox, began to shake, a slow trickle of terror sliding its way across his spine. The hairs on the back of his neck stood straight on end, and he could not shake the feeling of being watched. Something else was here. Something else was stalking him.

He froze, his shaking seized, as his gaze fell on new eyes staring at him, hidden in the trees. 

He began to slowly back away, and though he could not see the creature, he could tell by its shadow that something had shifted. He turned, racing back through the woods as the thing lunged after him. He could hardly see, and the roots continued to trip him up, but he did not stop. He could not stop. If he fell, he would surely be dead. He could hear it behind him, thrashing through the undergrowth and cracking low hanging branches. He imagined he could smell death, wafting off the thing like a twisted perfume. He choked on the stench, tears clouding his vision.

_He didn't want to die. Not like this._

Where was Tyler? 

The thought was sudden, like a mental gut-punch to the brain. It scared him, even the vague insinuation of this thing out in the woods with Tyler. But he had taken the car, hadn't he? He was safe, he had to be. Josh could not think of anything - not of this. Not of the fate of his friend. He had to keep moving. 

A flash of light ahead almost made him fall. He righted himself at the last second, fear flooding his veins with adrenaline, ice-cold. He kept moving. He had to keep moving.

The light was closer now, and suddenly he was breaking through the last of the branches, stumbling out onto the roadway. It was the forest road. He remembered now. He and Tyler had driven down this very road to get to Tyler's parent's cabin. They were going to have a camping trip, just for a weekend. But the weekend had lounged on, until it had been Wednesday and they had decided to rough it out in the wilderness for the night.

It had been fine until he'd tried those damned berries. He could have sworn they were perfectly fine. He'd even brought a book, specifically for this camping trip. Tyler had told him not to risk it, and he should have listened. Why hadn't he listened? Because he'd been so sure he was right, because they looked just like blueberries. Because he had wanted to show off to Tyler. Because he was his friend, and they both liked competing, and this had just been one more competition.

The next day was a blur. He knew now he had fallen ill, had had a bad fever. Tyler had taken care of him. Tyler had gone out to get Tylenol for him. Tyler had told him not to eat those berries.

Tyler had been right.

Josh closed his eyes, turning away from the car and listening. The sounds of carnage behind him had faded to a rustling of leaves. Nothing stirred, not even a stick crack to alert him to his possible demise. He took a shaky breath, opening his eyes once more and blinking in surprise when he realized he was no longer alone.

A man and woman stood by the car. He didn't want to walk over to it. Didn't want to look inside. Didn't want to see the damage that had been done, or see the grocery bag torn and the bottle of Tylenol spilled open. He didn't want to see it again. He didn't want to see Tyler, the look of horror on his face still obvious, even with how disfigured both he and the car now looked.

Josh didn't want to die. He had no desire to join his friend, he was not finished, not yet. He wanted to live. It was selfish, yes, but it was honest.

He walked shakily over to the man and woman, pleading with them for their help. They took one last look at the wrecked car, realizing that their call to... to who? The police? An ambulance? Josh did not know, but he could see the realization dawn across their faces. It was useless. 

They walked him back over to their car, and they took off, driving away from the thing in the woods. Away from the devastation it had wrought. Away from the cabin, where it had all began. Silence fell over the vehicle and its inhabitants, each preoccupied with their own thoughts, with the own attempts to reconcile what they had witnessed.

Josh closed his eyes. He did not know how long he would carry this burden. Did not know how long he would live. How long he would be haunted by the horrific thing he had found in the woods somewhere.


End file.
